The Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force (NTF) on student mental health and suicide prevention in higher education institutes (HEIs) is weighing specific safeguards for those from marginalised communities and those with disabilities, along with broader support measures, HT has learnt.
The 18-member body, which submitted its interim report to the top court in November 2025 and made it public in June 2026, is currently writing its final report and aims to submit it by October 31, the original deadline.
“In the final report, the recommendations will include general measures for student well-being as well as specific safeguards for students hailing from marginalised communities of Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC), minorities and students with disabilities as they are more vulnerable to face discrimination in campuses. The task force had consulted students and faculty from different backgrounds and communities. We are currently analysing survey responses covering caste, religion, disability and gender and writing the report,” a member of the task force said, requesting anonymity.
The interim report flagged widespread discrimination, weak grievance redressal mechanisms, academic pressure and severe gaps in mental health support across higher education institutions. A substantial section focused on caste-based discrimination, and described as a key lens through which the social dimensions of student suicides in contemporary India have been understood.
The task force wants to move beyond identifying a single trigger for student suicides and examine the combination of circumstances that can lead to prolonged distress, the member quoted above said.
On accountability of HEIs in student suicide cases, the member said the responsibility should not be limited to cases where a student dies by suicide.
“Institutions must also be accountable for the support they provide to students experiencing distress. These include economic difficulties, discrimination, academic stress, family expectations and treatable mental health conditions. Focusing on one factor in an individual case can obscure the wider range of problems that require intervention,” the member said.
The final report is being prepared amid renewed scrutiny of student well-being following recent student deaths at IIT-Bombay and IIT-Delhi. The member declined to comment on the individual cases, noting that separate committees were constituted to examine them and that the NTF had not investigated their circumstances.
The member also cautioned against focusing exclusively on “high-profile institutions and reported deaths” at IITs, arguing that “prevention efforts must extend to students experiencing psychological distress before it escalates into a crisis.”
The NTF’s interim report highlighted significant gaps in campus mental health services. Of the 2,119 higher education institutions that responded to its survey, 65% reported no access to mental health service providers while 73% lacked a full-time mental health professional.
The member said existing court orders already require counsellors in schools and higher education institutions, but implementing these requirements nationwide remains a challenge. “With around 60,000 higher education institutions and lakhs of schools, ensuring adequate staffing will require addressing both recruitment and financial constraints,” the member said.
The NTF itself will not be responsible for monitoring implementation of its final recommendations, the member said. “The report will be submitted to the Supreme Court, which may issue directions to institutions and government agencies and determine how compliance should be monitored,” the member said.
On September 16, the Union education ministry reminded universities and other HEIs to immediately report every student suicide or unnatural death to the police, irrespective of where it occurred, the circumstances or the mode of study. It also directed institutions to comply with the Supreme Court’s January 2026 directions on preventing student suicides and addressing mental health concerns.
The Supreme Court’s January order followed proceedings in a case concerning the deaths of two Scheduled Caste students at IIT-Delhi in 2023. The family of one of them, Anil Kumar, had alleged caste-based discrimination and harassment. The proceedings led the court to constitute the NTF, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat, in March 2025 to examine measures to prevent student suicides and address mental health concerns in higher education institutions.